


Be more careful, okay?

by TomatoBird



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M, anyways mako and wu - bi kings, au - mako isnt a cop, fuck cop mako, he wouldn't and we all know it, make them canon lok writers im begging u, mako talks about stuff challenge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-28
Updated: 2020-06-28
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:47:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24966211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TomatoBird/pseuds/TomatoBird
Summary: Mako helps Wu with a burn he got while cooking - but it isn't long before they dive into some personal biz.
Relationships: Mako/Prince Wu (Avatar)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 169





	Be more careful, okay?

Mako was lazily strung on the couch, as he drifts in and out of consciousness - feeling the drowsiness staring to take over. Just as his eyes were about to close however, a loud yell jolts Mako awake with a racing heartbeat 

"P-Prince Wu?!" His voice calls out - as fear grips his heart. Rushing into the kitchen, he comes face to face with a timid Wu who immediately tucks his arm behind his back "M-Mako!" He says through a forced smile which didn't fool the other for a second.

"Your arm," Mako comments, his eyebrows rising in suspicion. Wu's face drops for a moment as he gulps.

"I-It's only a small bruise," he says in an attempt to discourage Mako from investigating but the other proves himself ever stubborn - as he walks over. 

Wu swallows a nervous lump in his throat as he becomes aware of how Mako towers over him, feeling the heat rise in his cheeks. "Just let me look, please." Mako's voice was surprisingly soft - unusual for the other who often very blunt. Hesitantly, Wu reveals the lower portion of his arm, which has small burns running up to just below his elbow.

"I-I was cooking rice," he says with a bashful laugh before continuing "Wanted to make you something - clearly I didn't realise how heavy the pot was." Wu scratches the back of his neck with his free hand as Mako carefully inspects the injury. 

"We're gonna have to treat this," he mumbles under his breath - gesturing the other to follow him. Wu nods quickly as he walks after Mako all while holding his arm close to his body. They stop in front of the sink and Wu jumps at the tap being turned on so suddenly "Just hold your burns under the water for a few minutes - I'm gonna go find a first aid Kit," Mako explains as he gently takes hold of Wu's arm and leads it under the cool water - which immediately Wu finds relief in. 

As Wu relaxes, he couldn't stop his eyes from wandering over to Mako - who was sifting through many different cabinets "Did you happen to remember where the first aid kit was?" Mako's voice snaps Wu out of his daze-like state.

"O-Oh! Top right-hand corner," he says with an awkward laugh. "You seem to have that memorized." Mako teases with a smirk as he takes hold of the kit and tucks it under his arm. Wu just nods.

"Yeah I'm no stranger to it I hate to admit," he explains with a smile.

As they make their way into the living room Mako rolls his eyes "I find that hard to believe," he says quietly - as Wu sits down in front of him and Mako pulls a stool from the other side to be close to Wu. Taking hold his arms - he looks over it carefully. 

"You really need to be more careful, prince Wu."

Mako lightly scolds - as he presses down on the tender skin slightly; in an attempt to gauge how bad of a burn it was.

"I-I just made a mistake - cut me some slack--ouch!" Wu slams his fist onto the arm of the chair and bites back another yelp of pain. Mako rolls his eyes "I barely touched you," he mutters as he reaches down to the kit but keeping a close eye on Wu - who gives a short pout.

"Clearly you don't know your own strength." 

Mako sighs loudly "I just don't understand how you keep getting into these kind of situations - I know it's my job to protect you but it's almost as if you go out of your way to get my attention." Mako says that very nonchalantly with barely a look in Wu's direction.

As Wu watches Mako with soft eyes, he could feel a fluttering sensation deep within his chest. Shaking this feeling away - Wu huffs loudly "I-I don't like what you're implying at all!" 

Mako pauses for a moment - raising an eyebrow in the other's direction "I wasn't...what did you think I was implying?'' He asks, a curious look present on his face and Wu could feel his heart drop as realization sets in.

"N-Nothing. It doesn't matter," he murmurs grumpily to which Mako just shrugs as he continues what he was doing. Wu takes notice of how precise and calm Mako was acting - forcing a question to pop into his head and out his mouth within seconds "Mako, you're a firebender - right?" And the other shoots him a long stare.

"I've always been a water bender man," he says - a hint of sarcasm ever present in his voice. 

Wu's face becomes a mixture of confusion and shock "B-But I've seen you firebend many times...Unless - can there be two avatars?" That question catches Mako off guard who in turn gives a rumbling laugh.

"W-Wu no, I was just messing with ya," he smiles warmly towards Wu.

The other's face begins to blush like crazy "O-Oh! Yeah yeah - sarcasm is a thing. I keep forgetting about that," he gives a sheepish chuckle as he watches Mako apply lotion to his burns and a sense of relief washes over Wu. "B-But backing up, is it okay if I ask a personal question?"

"Depends on how personal it is." Mako mutters, as he begins to cut the bandages. 

Wu nods understandably before continuing "You seem to know you're way around burns - h-have you ever burnt yourself fire bending before?" Wu tries his best to phrase that question as carefully as he could - hoping not to upset Mako in any way, shape or form.

The other doesn't react much for a few seconds before snipping the last piece of bandage and sighing "I just want you to know - I have no problems answering that but I wouldn't go asking other firebenders that question," he begins calmly as he gestures for Wu to come closer and the other does exactly that.

"Fire is a misunderstood element and it still has a lot of hatred and fear associated with it and not a lot feel comfortable sharing if they've burnt themselves." 

Wu gives another nod "I understand," he says in small voice. It takes a few minutes before Mako speaks yet again.

"Y-You know how Bolin and I are orphans - right?" Mako starts that sentence with a small tremor but finds the courage to keeping going "But I don't know if I've ever shared the reason why that is," his voice is ever calm - as he begins to slowly apply the bandages around Wu's hurt skin.

"I never really felt like it was my place to question why." Wu says under his breath as he winces from pressure on his arm.

Mako loosens them before continuing "And I appreciate that - but I suppose it's never something I found hard to talk about but that's just me," he murmurs as tentatively wraps the bandages around Wu's arm "When we were younger - our parents were mugged by firebenders. Cut them down right in front of us both," those words had an underlying layer of bitterness in them as Mako recalls those memories "Bolin doesn't talk about it often but I figured he doesn't remember or maybe he even chooses not to but either way - it left an impact on us."

As Mako is explaining, he curses under his breath when he realises the bandage was too long, taking it away and begins to measure it once more. 

"I'm sorry you had to experience that." Wu says in a soft voice, placing a hand on top of Mako's and giving it a reassuring squeeze. The other freezes up at the touch before he gives a dismissive wave.

"It's fine, but thank you." He chuckles as he once more begins to apply the bandages "We were on our own after that - but it wasn't long after that did we discover our bending. Well - if you asked Bolin, he did first. But that actually isn't true." Mako's voice cracks mid sentence as he talks and Wu could see his muscles becoming tense. 

"It was a year into our new life - I had been out stealing food on my own and I was being chased by the police. Just a bunch of thugs chasing a small child - how pathetic is that?"

The venom in Mako's voice was so potent he finds himself taking a second to compose himself before continuing "They had me backed into a corner and in a panic, I just unleashed a wave of fire." His grip on Wu tightens which has the other cry out in pain and Mako immediately retracts his hand - apologising profusely. 

"The police were left confused which I used this as a opportunity to escape - and I did. I ran all the way back to Bolin, but I didn't tell him I could firebend." Those last few words sit heavily in Mako's chest, shame as fresh from the day it was formed. Wu doesn't say a word - just watches with sad eyes and through silent gestures, encourages Mako to keep going.

The other gives a shaky breath but nods "I didn't tell him for ages, how could I? Firebending was the reason our family was torn apart once before - i just didn't want to lose him too."

Mako's breath hitches as he stops what he was doing and falls back on his chair, covering his face.

Wu puts a gentle hand on his shoulder "You can stop if you want," he says as he gives a pat. Mako shakes his head.

"N-No, I can do it just...I've never talked about this with anyone. Not with Asami or Korra - not even Bolin." He explains through heavy breathing as he attempts to compose himself.

Wu smiles "I appreciate that you feel comfortable to share with me," those words soften Mako's face and clears his throat.

"Thank you - as I was saying. Most kids when discovering they can bend, it's seen as this amazing thing." Mako ties the bandage on Wu's arm finally "But for me and many other firebenders - that's just not the case," 

Wu pulls back his arm and admires the handiwork that Mako had done with a bright smile but it quickly fades when he stops to listen once more. Mako sighs heavily "I spent weeks hating myself - denying my bending, and my culture. All while I saw Bolin revel in his." The anger in Mako's voice was carried throughout that sentence - up until Bolin's name comes up, which was where it became gentle once more.

"When you're a kid, learning to use your bending is already hard but it's even harder when you are on your own," he says through quiet words. Mako leans forward and his eyes dart to the ground. "But the kicker is - the most damage Bolin could do was stub his toe or scratch his knee."

Mako freezes up as he sighs "I knew how.much pain fire had caused, from the war to my parents. How could it be a good thing?" Those words hit Wu differently as he heard the depreciation thst still lingers between them. After giving out a sharp exhale - Mako continues:

"But despite me denying my bending - curiosity eventually gets the better of you. But you know what they say "curiosity killed the cat owl," and that's what happend to me."

Wu tilts his head in confusion "But you're still alive--oh. I get it, just a phrase." As a look of embarrassment takes over his face - Wu starts blushing like crazy.

Mako chuckles with a rosy colour becoming visible on his cheeks too "Y-Yeah. Eventually I snuck out and used my bending - but it didn't end well." Mako unbuttons his shirt, revealing his chest and the faded but still visible burns running up along his skin.

Wu stares for longer than he means to - as he reaches out and traces along the skin "I'm so sorry.." He whispers sadly and Mako finds himself being caught off guard by the sheer emotion that he could see on Wu's face - his heart racing in response. 

After a few moments, Mako buttons up his shirt once more and shrugs "You don't have to apologise, it's not your fault-"

"-Still, it's not fair on you." Wu interrupts so fast that it catches Mako completely off guard - who stares with a puzzled expression. Wu places a hand on his own bandage "I'm in my 20's and I could barely handle the pain of my own burns but I was lucky to have you to help," he explains softly as he traces his fingers across the rough cloth before his gaze meets Mako's.

"But you didn't have anyone - and that isn't what any kid deserves. And by the sound of it, you were forced to grow up at such a young age." Wu gives a determined stare towards Mako "And I said sorry because I wish I could take that away from you but I can't. All I can offer - is to be here for you now." 

Mako bites back the tears as he just falls forward in a slump "I-I can't accept that...I should deal with my own problems," he says in a harsh whisper. Wu's features soften as he shakes his head and lifts Mako's chin up to meet his own eyes.

"You've always been there to protect me, why is it so hard to accept I would want to do the same for you?"

A glossy sheen overcomes his eyes - to which Mako attempts ro subtly blink away. "Because it's my job-" that comment has Wu hushing him immediately.

"-Your job is to make sure I'm safe but it never says anything that I can't be there for you too. You were the one who said I can make my own choices and my decision is to be there for you." And for once, Mako is truly lost for words as he stares into Wu's green eyes - the comfort in them relax every portion of Mako's body. 

"...Prince Wu?" 

The other winces at those words "Please, just call me Wu," he says softly as his hand falls on top of the other's who finally doesn't flinch at the touch.

Mako chuckles warmly to himself "A-Ah okay. Wu?" He speaks with a very nervous flutter in his stomach before he continues "You mean a lot to me - I hope you know that." 

Wu blinks in total shock before he smiles at Mako with a bright smile "I think I'm starting to get the idea," he says with a mischievous smirk - as he leans over and kisses Mako lightly on the cheek who's eyes go wide but after a few seconds he just awkwardly laughs.

"Y-You idiot." As he scratches the back os his neck but the fondness in his tone is all too obvious. 

"Now, can we make some food? I'm famished." Wu complains loudly as he falls back dramatically and Mako snickers.

"Sure, just try not to burn yourself." 

"That happened _one_ time Mako - let it go."

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> first time writing for these dudes so be nice unu 
> 
> I love the potential of these two but I also was sad we never got to see more of Mako's past and how he felt about his firebending at first...so I did it for us. I hope u enjoyed!!
> 
> also I havent seen TLOK in months so if I forgot smth in regards to Mako retelling his parents story - u didnt see anything.


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